Ryan in March: Pentagon brass not 'giving their true advice'

By Staff

August 14, 2012

GOP vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan caught heat earlier this year for saying at a National Journal event that he doubted the Pentagon’s top military leaders supported President Obama’s defense-budget request that they had presented to Congress.

“We don’t think the generals are giving us their true advice,” said Ryan, R-Wis., chairman of the House Budget Committee. “We don’t think the generals believe that their budget is really the right budget.”

It was a serious allegation. Generals and admirals are supposed to give their honest "best military advice" to Congress, even if that advice is in disagreement with their civilian leadership in the administration.

Ryan's comments reflected a sentiment that is essentially the foundation of the defense-spending positions held across the Republican Party. Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney as well as House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who endorsed Ryan’s budget, and Sen.John McCain of Arizona, the leading GOP defense voice in the Senate, all want a bigger defense budget than the Pentagon requested.

Watch the exchange between Ryan and National Journal’s News Editor Kristin Roberts below.